Abeaham felldif



(No Model.)

A. PELLDIN.

MUSIC RACK FOR PIANOS.

Patented Nov. 11, 188 1.

WITNESSESQ I 712mm INVENTOR 2 m M02244;

ATTORNEY Drv UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

ABRAHAM FELLDIN, OF ITHAGA, FEE YORK.

MUSIC-RACK FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,933, dated November 11, 1884.

A pplieaiion filed July 2'1, 1883.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM Fnnrnrx, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musicltacks for Upright Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and combination of devices whereby the raising of the fall-boards to uncover the keys on an upright piano will cause the vertical front to be thrown forward at a suitable inclination for use as a musicrack, which will not only accommodate the player, as in pianos as heretofore constructed, but give plenty of room for the text and music of one or more vocalists or instrumentalists singing or playing together with the planist, the aforesaid throwing forward and there-- detail section showing the inside of one of the checks of the case. Fig. 3 is asimilar detail section showing a modification in the hinging of the fall-board to the check of the case.

A is the piano-case; 13 the ordinary lid. to are the keys, and Z) is thekey-framc. C is one of the checks of the case, and a the lockboard. 1) is the outer and E the inner fallboard, hinged together at c, in. the usual man ner; but the outer fall-board, D, instead of being supported by the hinge c, is provided on the under side, at opposite ends, a distance below and alittle in front of the hinge a, with lugs d, and is hinged or pivoted to the checks 0 by pins or screws 1 going through holes in the said lugs D and into the said checks 0.

The inner fal1-board, E, instead of being sccured stationary to the checks 0, is provided (X0 model) at either end with a projecting pin, 0, which pins enter into slots or grooves c on the inside of the checks 0. The grooves care preferably curved, as shown in the drawings, and inclining forward, and arecovcred up by the ends of thcinner fall-boards,E, when the piano is closed. By this construction it is evident that the inner lallboard, E, may be slid downward and forward in the grooves c, as well as oscillated upon its pivots, so as to assume any position governed by the raising of the outer tall-board, 1), around its pivot 17, the inner board, E, being pivoted to the outer by the aforesaid hinges c.'

In the rear of and below the board E is pivotcd a lever, (1, in such a manner that the lower end, of said lever is in contact with the board E, and the upper end, 11, (which. is preferably made of a bent rod or coarse wire,) in contact with the inside of the lower portion of the front F. The said vertical front F of the piano is provided at opposite ends of its upper portion, on the inside thereof, withlugs f, by which and pins b, going through said lugs and sccurcd to the opposite ends of the frame A, the said front F is supported and pivoted so as to enable it to be swung forward to assume an inclined position suitable for a l'nusie-rack. For this purpose thelower edge of the vertical front F is provided with a sliglitlya'ecessed shelf, 7", on which the music books and papers may be supported.

The lug ,instcad of being merely perforated to receive the pin Z1, is preferably slotted, as shown in Fig. l, the lower end of the slot being open, so that the front F, when the lid 1 is raised, may be conveniently removed by simply being lifted off from the pins Z). As the pivotingpoint is situated at a distance from and inside of the front F, the weight of the latter will cause it to assume the vertical. position shown in full .lincs when not kept forward by the upper ends, 11', of the levers (t. \Vhcn lifting the outer fall-board, I), from contact with the upper edge of the lock-board c and throwing it back in its dotted position, the inner fall-board, E, will slide by its piv ots a downward in the slots 0, and at the same time turn upon its pivots until it has assumed the dotted position in Fig. 1. In moving IOO thus the said inner board, 15, will depress the forward or lower end, g, of thelever G, thereby causing its upper end, H, to press the vertieal front 1 forward into its inclined position, the boards D ll, lever G, and front F then occupying the relative positions i ndt eated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the mere uncovering of the keys by raising the tall-board 1) simultaneously opens the front F, allowing free propagation of the sound from the instrument, and places the said ,t'ront F in position for use as a music-rack. On again closing tliet'all-board I) all the movable parts resume simultaneously the positions shown in full lines in Fig. 1!.

In order to facilitate the closing up of the instrument, the l'allboard is provided On:

the inside, along its lower edge, with a bead, d, by which the laltboard, when in its raised position, may conveniently bepulled forward to close it.

To facilitate the insertion and removal of the tall-boards E, the lugs d of the board D are slotted, as shown at a in Fig. 3, and the inclined slots 0 are open at their upper ends, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that to remove the l'all-boards it is only necessa-ryto raise the outer board, D, off from its pivots t, then told it over the hinges 0 down upon the inner board, E, and slide the latter upon its pivots a up and out of the slots 0. The insertion of t t t i 1 t i t t l i the boards is of course el'l'eeted in a similar but reverse manner.

The space for receiving the name of the man ul'acturer or owner, &c., is on the under side of the outer tall-board, D, which latter, when opened, thus forms the name-board.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latentl. The combination of the tall-boards E l), hinged together, the inner fall-board, E, being provided with pivots 0, to slide and turn in the slots 0, and the outer board, 1), being supported on end pivots, i, with. the hinged or pivoted piano-front h, and the lever G, ar-

' ranged with its ends l l and r in contact with y the front F and the board ll, respectively, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the tall-boards and 1C, hinged together, with the cheek-pieces C, the board D having lugs (Z, open at a, to rest on the pivots '1? on the cheeks, and the board E having pivots c, to slide and turn in the slots 0 in the cheeks, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence ot'two witnesses, this 16th day of July, 1383.

A]; t-AHAM FELLDIX.

Witnesses:

0. H. HENNING, GEORGE POI/LAY. 

